Published: August 29, 2008 12:40 am      

Woman found murdered in Mount Hope; police launch manhunt

Fayette County authorities launched a manhunt Thursday for a Mount Hope man after a woman’s body was found in his home, the sheriff said.

Sheriff’s investigators anticipated obtaining an arrest warrant charging David Lee Welch, 43, of Mount Hope, with murder, Sheriff Bill Laird said. Welch is believed to have left the immediate area.

Around 1 p.m. Thursday, concerned relatives of Linda Kay Smith, 50, of Mount Hope, called the sheriff’s office, Laird said. Smith had not been seen since last Saturday, and she was last seen at Welch’s residence at 401 Virginia St.

Smith and Welch were believed to have had an “ongoing relationship,” Laird said, but he declined to speculate on the nature of the relationship.

Sheriff’s deputies obtained a search warrant for Welch’s residence and forced their way inside around 5 p.m., Laird said. They then found a woman’s body in a front bedroom.

Laird said authorities did not have any reason to believe the body was not that of Smith. However, the body was sent to the state medical examiner’s office in South Charleston for both positive identification and post-mortem examination.

Laird declined to release a possible cause of death.

Welch’s whereabouts were unknown, Laird said. Welch is described as a white man, 5-foot-11 and 260 pounds with hazel eyes. He has balding hair and is believed to have a beard.

He is believed to be driving a light blue 1987 Chevy Cavalier with West Virginia license plate number 9M 4098.

Anyone with information on Welch’s whereabouts is encouraged to call 304-574-3590.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com